Tiangong astronauts experiment with AI robot and more to kick off busy year for Chinese human spaceflight (video)

China is planning to send two new crews to its Tiangong space station in another busy year of human spaceflight.

China’s human spaceflight agency, CMSA, announced in early March that the country is planning to launch two crewed missions this year — Shenzhou 20 and Shenzhou 21 — along with a single Tianzhou cargo spacecraft to deliver fresh supplies and fuel to the Tiangong space station.

The three-module Tiangong was completed in late 2022 and has been constantly occupied ever since, with three-person crews spending roughly six months in orbit before handing over to a new crew. China also recently announced that it will train astronauts from Pakistan ahead of a short-term mission to Tiangong in the coming years.

Meanwhile in orbit, the Shenzhou 19 crew currently aboard Tiangong have been busy with a range of experiments and exercises. New footage from the orbiting outpost shows the trio of astronauts engaged in a range of activities.

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The three astronauts — commander Cai Xuzhe, Song Lingdong and Wang Haoze — used electroencephalogram (EEG) equipment for a number of experiments. Data collected will help researchers back on Earth gain insights in areas including the impact of gravity on visual motion processing and the effects of brainwave music intervention on regulating inhibitory control functions during long-duration spaceflights, according to China Central Television (CCTV).

Wang Haoze, China’s first female flight engineer in space, is seen using resistance bands as part of the exercise regimen designed to limit bone and muscle loss while in microgravity. The trio also used the small AI flight robot “Xiao Hang” to conduct a series of experiments, including research on multimodal interaction technology, which aims to create natural, intuitive and efficient ways for humans to communicate with machines.

The Shenzhou 19 astronauts arrived at Tiangong in late October 2024 and are more than 130 days into their roughly 180-day-long stay aboard the space station. The mission has included a pair of extravehicular activities, or spacewalks, including a record-breaking excursion outside of the space station.

CMSA has not yet announced a launch date for Shenzhou 20, which will see a handover of control of Tiangong from Shenzhou 19 to the incoming crew.